Corn-popper.



No. 794.344. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

W. S. COFFMAN.

CORN POPPER.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 9, 1904.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. Wis

\- PATENTED JULY 11, 1905.

W. S. GOFFMAN.

CORN POPPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Witnesses I nventor,

Htto'rnegs NiTEn STATEs Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT Orricn.

CORN-POPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 79,344, dated July 11,1905.

Application filed December 9, 1904. Serial No. 236.194.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILL S'rooKs Conmmn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma and Territory ofOklahoma, have invented a new and useful Corn-Popper, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to corn-peppers, and has for its objects to producea simple inexpensive device of this character in which the corn willduring the popping operation be constantly agitated and may afterpopping be readily discharged.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of constructionand combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation illustrating the means for detachablyconnecting one end of the pan to the supporting-frame. Fig. 5 is adetail longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of theinvention. Fig. 6 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 5. Fig. 7is a detail elevation showing the manner of detachably connecting thepan and the cover to one end of the frame.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a primary supporting-framecomprising a horizontal member 2, adapted for attachment to the top of awagon or other overhead support, and a plurality of vertically-disposedmembers 3, connected at their upper ends with the member 2 and at theirlower ends with a secondary frame 4.

The frame 4, which is preferably of rectangular form, is providedadjacent to its longitudinal center with a transverse bar 5, to which ispivoted a pair of oppositely-extending substantially horizontal leaves6, adapted to swing upward in a vertical plane and constituting the lidor cover for a corn receptacle or pan 7.

The pan 7, which, as herein shown, preferably comprises suitable sideand end walls and a longitudinally downwardly curved bottom 8, isprovided upon one of its end walls with a horizontal engaging member ortongue 9, adapted to enter a socket or seat 10 provided in the rear endbar of frame 4, and on its other end wall with a horizontally-extendinghandle 11, a portion of which is formed to rest in a laterally-openingsocket or seat 12, formed in a vertically-depending bracket 13. providedon the front end bar of frame 4. It is apparent from this arrangementthat the receptacle 7 may be readily and detachably engaged with theframe' f by inserting the tongue 9 in socket 10 and seating the handle11 in socket 12 and that when in said position the leaves 6 willeffectually close the otherwise normally open side of the pan, it beingobvious that said leaves maybe swung upward when temporary access to thepan is desired during the corn-popping operation.

Provided adjacent to the center of bar 5 is a suitable bearing-opening,in which is loosely mounted for rocking motion a vertically-disposedshaft 14, to the lower end of which there is loosely connected anagitating member or sweep 15, adapted in practice to travel over thesurface of the pan-bottom S and stir the corn wliile being popped. Theagitator 15 consists, preferably, of a pair of transverselydisposed barsor members 16, arranged in spaced parallel relation, and alongitudinallyarranged connecting bar or member 17, to the opposite endsof which the members 16 are respectively attached.

Arranged upon the shaft 14 and having bearing at its upper end beneaththe bar 5 and at its lower end upon a pin or other fixed stop 18,provided on the shaft, is an expansionspring 19, designed in practice topress the shaft longitudinally downward and maintain the agitator 15 incontact with the bottom of' the pan, thereby preventing the former fromoverriding and crushing the corn.

The upper end of shaft 14 is pivotally connected with a link or itsequivalent 20, which in turn is connected with an engine or othersuitable source of power for transmitting motion to the shaft during theoperation of the device.

Another embodiment of the invention has been shown in Figs. 5 to 7,inclusive, wherein the rectangular substantially horizontal frame 21 isthe same as the frame 4 in the previously-described form and is providedat opposite sides with pairs of standards 22 rising therefrom for thepurpose of hanging the frame from an overhead support. The pan 23differs from the pan 8 in that it is substantially semicircular in shapeand is provided at its rear end with an external tongue or projection24E, detachably engaged with a seat or socket 25, preferably formed by aloop or bracket secured to the under side of the frame 21. The oppositeend of the pan is provided with a handle 26, which is designed fordetachable engagement with a seat or keeper 27, depending from the frontof the frame. By this means the pan may be readily removed from theframe by first disengaging the handle 26 from the keeper 27 and thenwithdrawing the projection 24 from the seat 25, the pan of course beingentirely manipulated by the handle, so as to avoid contact of be drivenby power or by hand, the present embodiment of the invention having acrank 32 upon one extremity of the shaft and a hand-grasp 33 upon thecrank for convenience in manually rotating the agitator.

The cover 34: is substantially semicircular in shape and rests upon thetop of the frame 21, the rear end of the cover being provided with aprojection 35 to detachably engage a seat or socket 36, provided uponthe top of the rear of the frame 21, while its front end is providedwith a pair of swinging hooks 37 to engage suitable keepers orprojections 38 upon the front of the frame and thereby detachably holdthe cover in place.

From the foregoing description it Will be noted that each embodiment ofthe invention includes a substantially horizontal open frame havinghangers rising therefrom to suspend the device from an overhead support,there beinga corn-receiving pan detachably hung from the frame, anagitator Working within the pan, and a cover upon the top of the frame Ito give access to the interior of the pan without removing the latterfrom the frame. Furthermore, each pan is arranged to be removed from theframe independently of the cover and other parts of the device, wherebythe popped corn may be removed and the pan recharged without interferingwith any of the other parts of the device, and the pan is provided witha handle for use in applying and removing the pan without danger of theoperators hands coming into contact with the heated pan.

It will now be apparent that the device of the present invention isexceedingly simple, inexpensive, and will admirably perform itsfunctions; but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise details herein set forth, as minor changes may be made withinthe scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having fully described the invention,.what is claimed is 1. In adeviceof the class described, the combination of a substantially horizontalframe, means for supporting the frame in an elevated position, seats atthe front and back of the frame, a pan provided at one end withaprojection for detachable engagement with one of the seats and having ahandle at its other end for detachable engagement with the other seat,and a cover supported upon the frame independently of the pan.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of asubstantially horizontal frame, hangers rising from the frame, a pandetachably hung from the frame, and a cover supported upon the frameindependently of the pan.

3. In adevice of the class described, the combination of a substantiallyhorizontal frame, means for supporting the frame in an elevatedposition, a pan removably hung from the frame, a cover supported uponthe frame independently of the pan, and an agitator adapted to Workwithin the pan.

4. In a device of the class described. the combination of asubstantially horizontal frame having seats at the front and rearthereof, hangers rising from the frame, a pan provided at one end with aprojection detachably engaging the adjacent seat and having a handle atits opposite end for detachable engagement with the other seat, anagitator adapted to work within the pan, and a cover supported upon theframe independently of the pan.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILL STOCKS GOFFM AN.

Witnesses:

J. W. THOMAS, J. W. BLACK.

